Dancing
by Katiesmom07
Summary: GSR fic set between S3 and S4 about how they could have started dating.  Other than knowing it has to be after S3 and before S4, it follows my own AU.  Rated M for later chapters because I always lose my filter at some point.
1. The Other Dance

Disclaimer: If I owned them, I wouldn't be writing this.

Author's Notes: So, as many people who follow my writings know, I am addicted to writing fics about how Grissom and Sara finally start dating. So, I clear my mind of everything I know and I pick a point in history where I can write a fic about how it all started. I haven't written in a really long time, so please forgive my rustiness. For this to work it would have to be set between season 3 and 4 and then follows my own AU. Hope you enjoy. This will probably be yet another long-winded fic with many chapters so please read a review. Thanks!

For the fifth time in the last ten minutes, Catherine nearly stormed into his office. "Grissom, what the hell? You're making us late!"

His internal struggle with the events of the night to come was making his blood pressure rise and rendering his hands nearly useless in the task of tying the bowtie around his neck. He had no desire to accept any award or go to any fancy dinner just for doing his job no matter how good it looked for the lab.

That had been the excuse he had been given by not only the under sheriff, but also the sheriff upon stating that he did not need to be there to accept the award. One of his team members could accept it. It was the entire team that had solved the case, not just himself. But no matter what he said, he had lost.

So now he stood in his office attempting to tie his bowtie to go to an expensive dinner with his entire team rather than continuing to work on the caseload that grew every day. And on top of his aggravation, Catherine stood in her dress, tapping her high-heeled shoe at him.

"You know, Catherine, I can drive myself if you don't want to wait."

She threw her arms out. "Right and then the sheriff will have my ass when you don't show up. No way, Grissom! Right now. Let's go!"

Of course, she was right. Left there alone he would find some way to avoid going to the dinner at all. He let his hands fall to his sides, giving up on the bowtie with a shrug. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Finally! Let's go!"

He actually chuckled as he followed Catherine to the car. When they got to the car though, he found it empty. "Where is everyone else?"

Flashing him a 'duh' look as she climbed into the passenger's seat, "They all left, Grissom. We're late because of you! Now drive."

When they arrived, Catherine went ahead of him in search of the team while he hung back, stopping at the bar. He managed to find a space at the end of the bar without being noticed by anyone and ordered a scotch. He had been there nearly ten minutes before he felt a presence beside him.

He glanced to his left and found Sara invading his three feet of personal space. "I'm supposed to bring you to our table."

"Hello to you as well, Sara. Can I get you a drink?"

She crossed her arms. "You know, I don't like this any more than you do. I have work to do. So you're coming to the table to suffer with me."

Seemingly ignoring her, he turned to the bartender. "She'll have a gin and tonic."

She raised an eyebrow at his choice, glad that he hadn't ordered her some fruity drink, but wondered just how he knew. Her arms were still crossed when he tried to hand her the drink he'd ordered. But with a smirk she reached past the drink and straight for the bowtie around his neck. His face immediately started turning shades of red while she fiddled with the material that he couldn't seem to get right himself.

When she finished and took her drink he cleared his throat a half dozen times before allowing himself to speak. But even then, he stuttered and his voice was scratchy. "I tried…umm…that was…uh…thank you."

She laughed inside her head, wondering how he was still nervous around her after all the years they'd known each other. Silently, she turned and glanced over her shoulder to make sure he was following.

The trip to their table turned out to be incredibly long as nearly every person stopped them once he was recognized and he had to introduce Sara and have idle chitchat with over a dozen people. Finally, when his brain couldn't take another round of small talk, he placed his hand on the small of Sara's back and excused them to their table.

Surrounded by his team once again, the tension started to ease. Although he didn't participate in any of the personal discussions going on around him, he listened, content. It wasn't until the announcement that dinner would be served soon was made and Sara moved away that he realized he'd never removed his hand from her back.

He felt the heat rise in his face as he took his seat. He contemplated apologizing, but then thought she might be offended. She hadn't moved away and she hadn't seemed uncomfortable. His internal struggle rose, trying to figure out the right thing to do. He wasn't good at this; at least not with her. She made him nervous by her mere presence and proximity to him.

His thoughts were interrupted once the soup was served and he noticed Sara engaged herself in conversation with the rest of the team. Perhaps she hadn't even noticed his hand was there. He tried to focus on eating his meal, but couldn't help but pay attention to the woman beside him. She had barely touched the soup, eating some bread to seem like she was actually eating dinner and now her entrée was in front of her and she seemed to avoid that as well.

His brain moved a mile a minute, trying to decide whether it was his fault that she had lost her appetite. But in the moment he had decided he would ask her if something was wrong, a light went off in his head. Excusing himself from the table, he was proud of his next move.

Upon returning the table, he resumed eating his meal and minutes later a waiter showed up at the table to exchange Sara's plate with a large salad. The soup had been chicken noodle and the entrée was prime rib. She wasn't eating because she didn't eat meat. The shock on her face when her meal was changed was evident to him, but the rest of the team made idle conversation about the waiter finally remembering a request they assumed Sara had made earlier.

The rest of dinner was uneventful and soon the award was given. Grissom gave his speech, short but appropriate and the room began to buzz when the music started playing and couples began dancing. Catherine and Warrick quickly made their way to the crowd and Nick searched out a girl he knew for a dance partner as well. He and Sara were left at the table, his mind reeling with thoughts of asking her to dance.

Dancing was not his forte. He had two proverbial left feet and would quite possibly embarrass himself with her. But his decision was cut short when Hank showed up at the table and asked Sara to dance. She flashed Grissom a look that he thought might have been a plea to save her, but accepted the invitation anyway.

Never taking his eyes off of the couple, he made his way back to the bar cursing himself for not driving himself so he could just leave when he wanted to. As he sipped his double scotch, he watched the hand Hank held at Sara's back, wondering just why he had to be the EMT that had worked on this particular case.

They moved together with grace, seemingly having danced before while they were dating. But Hank had hurt Sara. For a moment he wondered if there had been a man in Sara's life who hadn't hurt her. Hank was the only man he'd known Sara to date and he'd cheated on her. And even though Grissom had turned down her dinner invitation, he still cared for her in a way that even he didn't understand.

Emotions were confusing to him. Science was definite. Evidence was definite. The most complex experiment he could find a solution to, but a relationship was an equation he just couldn't balance.

Hank leaned in closer to Sara, his face nearly touching her makeup free face and whispered something in her ear. Grissom watched the young EMT's lips closely and cursed in his head when they turned after only a couple words. But the next sequence of events helped him to understand the nature of what was said. After a short struggle and Hank trying to restrain her, Sara gave one good shove and turned to nearly run out of the room.

Grissom never paused, his adrenaline and anger getting the best of him. It seemed like he only took a few steps to get to Hank, grabbed him by the elbow and led him from the room. They only just made it out the doors, out of the view of the crowd when Grissom jerked the young man into the wall.

Keeping his voice in check was harder than he'd ever thought it would be. His voice came out in a deep growl. "What did you say to her?"

With a cocky attitude, "Get away from me old man."

Instead, Grissom took a step closer. "Listen you punk, you're gonna tell me what you said after 'Remember when we…' that made her run out of the room either willingly or in an interrogation room. Your choice."

His voice shook with nervousness, "How'd you know what I started to say?"

Grissom's anger was getting the best of him and his voice was getting louder. "You don't get to cheat on a lady and then make a move on her, you asshole. So we're gonna make a deal here. You never so much as EVER set an eye on her and I won't find a way to kick your ass and bury your body where no one will find you." He took one more step and his voice deepened to a very serious, calm tone. "I _will _kill you if you ever hurt her again. And I _won't _get caught. Do we understand each other?"

Hank nodded with wide eyes and Grissom backed away. "No get the hell out of my sight." Grissom pointed into the crowed room, signaling for Hank to not even think of following Sara out the door.

It took a few moments for his nerves to calm before he headed out the door himself to find Sara.


	2. The First Dance

The sky was black, littered with lights from buildings and cars, neon and streetlights. Grissom briefly looked up, searching for stars, but found none through the assault of other interferences. After making a silent promise to himself to find the stars soon, he went on his search for Sara, knowing she couldn't have gotten far without a car. The heels she wore on her bare feet, although attractive, were not her normal footwear and he was certain they were not comfortable.

After sweeping the parking lot in one slow glance and finding no sign of her, he turned to his left and went on a hunt. After only a few steps he heard the faint sound of her tears, which was painfully recognizable to him.

So many of her tears had been caused by him. The hurt he had created, he couldn't take back, and that thought pained him. In the most stressful situation in his profession he could control himself, keep himself in check. But when it came to the most minor confrontation between the two of them, he failed miserably at not becoming a complete jerk.

With a deep breath, he took purposeful strides in her directed, determined to stop the hurt she was feeling now, even though he had not caused it this time. He turned the corner to find her seated on stone wall surrounding the man-made garden. She didn't look up when he approached, but he knew that she was aware of his presence.

He stood in silence, admiring her. In her vulnerable state, at this moment, he would normally retreat, run away. But now he was determined to face her, and not hurt her. He stood firm and tried to be strong, ignoring the voice inside him that reminded him that this is the moment he should hurt her so he could disappear before the risk.

As her sobs began to ease, he finally spoke. "I'm sorry, so sorry Sara." He waited for her to respond, but when she didn't, he tried something else. With slow movements, he moved toward her, reached down, took her ankle in his hand and raised her foot to remove her shoe. He looked at her face only once to see the shocked look on her face and swallowed hard to keep his nerve. One at a time, he removed both her shoes and stood back up.

After reaching a hand in her direction his eyes finally met hers and with a shake still in his voice he asked, "Will you dance with me?"

Silent tears fell down her cheeks that he hoped were not filled with sorrow or pain. It seemed like he stood there an eternity with his arm outstretched, waiting for her to accept. He wasn't even sure what he was asking of her, he just wanted her pain to stop, at least for a moment.

Slowly, and with hesitation, she slipped her hand into his and stood. She moved a little clumsily into his arms, keeping enough distance so their bodies did not touch. With one hand holding hers and the other placed safely on her back, he began to move to the music, which he only heard in his head. Her hand felt warm against his shoulder as she moved gracefully with him as seconds ticked by.

The sounds of cars driving, tires squealing and horns honking slowly drifted away as he lost himself in the moment. His heart pounded in his chest when his eyes caught hers again. Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to break his soul. Just the thought that he had made her cry yet again terrified him. He stilled as a single tear fell slowly down her cheek.

Moving the hand from her back he wiped the tear away with his thumb. "Sara, please don't cry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry."

A smile formed on her face that melted him. "It's a happy tear, Grissom. Thank you."

The corner of his mouth lifted just a bit. "Oh. Well…good."

"Grissom, can we leave?"

Panic set in his brain and a lump rose in his throat. He didn't know what to do next. Normally he would run as far away as possible, push her away. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to do the opposite of what he normally would.

His voice was raspy when he answered, "Yes, uh, just let me tell Catherine we're leaving." She nodded as he handed her the valet ticket for the car. "Here, I'll be right back. Could you have the car brought up?" With another nod, she turned to pick up her shoes.

He pushed quickly through the crowd inside and found Catherine. "What's up? Where'd you disappear to?"

Ignoring her question, "Can you get a ride with Warrick and Nick? Sara and I are ready to get out of here."

Catherine rolled her eyes. "Do either one of you know how to just have fun?"

With a single finger, he swept the room. "_This_ is not our idea of fun. Goodnight Catherine." With that, he turned to leave, slightly annoyed. He calmed, though, when he returned to Sara's side. "Ready to go?"

She smiled and pointed to the car, which was already there waiting. Just as they climbed in the car, he phone beeped signaling a text message. "Uh, Sara, I hate to ask this but…it seems we have a dead body."

He chuckled when he saw her smile. "No problem. I have clothes in my locker at work." Her love of her work and dedication to her job were qualities he admired more than he could put into words. Somehow it was important to him that he knew she would never complain about how many hours he worked or how often he was called in.

When they got back to the lab, they both changed quickly and then headed out to the scene. During the silent trip, he reflected on the sequence of events of the night. Under normal circumstances, he would have hurt Sara, pushed her away and she would have been mad at him. He still would have asked for her help with the call, but they would have worked with tension between them and been uncomfortable all night. Instead, here they were, actually enjoying a night together, even though it was work.

She noticed his hesitation to get out of the car once they got to the scene. "Gris?"

He turned slowly toward her and spoke with all the courage he had. "Sara, that guy is a jerk…and you deserve better."

The shock on her face was evident. She simply nodded before getting out of the car. He chuckled again and he watched her walk quickly away, satisfied that he was changing for the good.

But his plan to change was put on hold as their case turned into a long double shift which pushed both of them dangerously close to the beginning of their next shift. Well into the third shift after pulling two doubles, he felt his own fatigue and knew Sara would be feeling the same way.

He went on a hunt for her and found her leaning over an evidence table covered in various tagged items. He cleared his throat and she looked up. "You need a break."

"I'm fine. I have work to do. Besides, you haven't taken a break."

He immediately regretted his choice of words and turned to leave. Moments later he returned to find her back to work. He cleared his throat again and she looked up. "Sara, would you come take a break with me?" She raised an eyebrow. "I ordered us some dinner. We could eat in my office."

"I, uh, sure…that would be…great. Umm, just give me a minute to clean up."

After a curt nod he headed back to his office. He had done it. Somehow, he would learn to do things right the first time, but until then he would make sure he corrected what he knew were his mistakes.

She arrived just after the food and they quickly began eating, both starved. He saw her stifle a yawn in between bites and started to think about her lack of sleep in the past few days. He had barely gotten four hours in between shifts and was sure she'd gotten less.

He thought for a moment before he acted, determined that he would do this right the first time. He wiped his hands and stood. As he walked around his desk, her eyes never left him. After taking her empty container and setting it on his desk, she wiped her hands after he stretched his hand out to her. In a moment of de ja vue, she slipped her hand into his.

After leading her across the room, he motioned toward his leather sofa. "Please take a nap. I have some paperwork to catch up on and then I'll drive you home. We both need rest and fresh eyes to solve this case." Her hesitation made him nervous and in that moment he wanted to run. He had taken a chance, and it terrified him. His tension was evident when he spoke. "Please Sara."

Slowly, she did as he asked and lowered herself to the sofa. He remained where he was as she removed her shoes to lie down. After her eyes drifted closed, he pulled the blanket from the back of the sofa and covered her as best he could. His hands lingered near her body for a moment longer than necessary and he whispered words that meant had more meaning than they expressed at the moment. "Thank you."

He felt the pounding in his chest as he returned to his desk and cleared the trash from their lunch. No one had ever slept on his couch other than him, nor had he ever offered it to anyone.

As he sat down, his eyes moved to her sleeping figure. Her long, lean body was curled up, finally getting relax she needed. She looked at peace, a look that he couldn't remember seeing on her face very often. With a deep breath he turned to his paperwork, determined to make sure she had that look more often.

An hour passed, and he had finished all the paperwork his mind could handle in one sitting. He glanced at the sofa and found her once again still sleeping. While his eyes rested on her peaceful face, he realized suddenly that she made his heart feel light in moments like these. With his vast knowledge, he couldn't understand why the one woman that gave him so much anxiety, tension and frustration was also the one woman he couldn't seem to live without.

Shaking his head, he stood and went to the couch. With a light touch, he brushed hair from her face and spoke in a whisper. "Sara, wake up." Her eyes fluttered open. "I'd like to drive you home now." Even as he said the words, he couldn't believe they'd come from his mouth. But when she nodded her head, he was happy he had said them.

When they pulled up to her apartment building, he actually felt good about his actions. "Will you be okay with no car?" She nodded and he added, "Okay, if you need anything, please call. If not, I will pick you up before next shift." Another nod came before she got out of the car.

He watched as she walked away, and suddenly felt uneasy. She hadn't said a word since he'd woken her up on the sofa. Maybe he'd done something wrong. He started to panic. Without another thought he opened his car door and yelled her name. She turned immediately.

His mind raced as he continued toward her, still wondering just what he was going to do once he reached her. But his body never stopped moving. The pounding in his chest was echoing in his ears and he continued to curl his hands at his sides. He was sure she noticed his nervousness as he approached but he didn't have the ability to calm himself or even hide it.

When he finally reached her, their eyes locked in silence. With courage he didn't know he had he raised a hand to her arm. He took a deep breath and thought for only a moment before pulling her against him. He wrapped her tightly in his arms, and held her like he might never let her go. She moved her arms slowly around him, placing both hands flat against his back.

In that moment, his heart calmed. "Sleep well. I'll see you later today."


End file.
